Live Longer and Healthier, Love and Protect Your Kidneys and Liver

Several months ago I noticed a building going up not far from where I live. Being the curious type that I am (or nosy as some might say) I wanted to find out what was going up in my neck of the hood. After all, not many nice buildings are being built in my area of town. So one could understand my curiosity. The construction company had worked on the building for more than 3 months. But there was no sign placed on the building for weeks. What could this thing be I mused. Then a couple of weeks ago, here comes the sign: Davita Dialysis. Umph, I should have known. A business that profits off a condition that plagues Black folk--kidney disease.

According to the Journal of the National Medical Associaion: "Numerous studies have documented the presence of racial disparities among Americans in health outcomes with respect to cardiovascular disease, infant mortality, cancer, and kidney disease. With regard to kidney  diseases, these disparities are more dramatic. African, Hispanic, and Native Americans have the highest risks of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The incidence of ESRD is four times higher in African Americans than in whites."

Now, this is not news to most of us who read. In almost every area where there is a large population of so-called Negroes, you will find dialysis centers. There is big money in dialysis. If you have kidney or liver problems then this article post may just help you out.

If you didn't know, the kidneys are two organs that are an essential part of the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid-base balance, and regulation of blood pressure. They serve the body as a natural filter of the blood, and remove wastes which are diverted to the urinary bladder. In producing urine, the kidneys excrete wastes such as urea and ammonium; the kidneys also are responsible for the reabsorption of water, glucose, and amino acids. The kidneys also produce hormones including calcitriol, renin, and erythropoietin.

The liver is a vital organ. It has a wide range of functions (over 500), including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival; there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function. In other words, unlike the kidneys and dialysis, there is no machine that can do what the liver does.

What can you do to protect and save your liver and kidneys?

A healthy liver can help you with weight control, sugar problems i.e., diabetes, boost your immune system, eliminate skin problems, and prevent many chronic diseases. Strong kidneys can aid your blood pressure, detoxify your blood, reduce the amount of deadly acids in the body, and reduce or eliminate swelling, inflammation, and muscle cramps.

Here are some things you can do to help out that liver and kidneys:

1. Drink more pure water. Water absent of sodium fluoride, chlorine and heavy metals is just what the doctor ordered. Pure water is the staff of life. It helps the kidneys to flush toxins from your body, helps to keep the blood at the proper viscosity (i.e. less sticky), and hydrates the cells. Drink at least a quart of water per day.

2. Juice your vegetables. Vegetable juicing is an excellent way to not only get the nutrients that you need but can help to tone, protect and support the kidneys and liver. Vegetable juicing can help these organs detoxify your body. You can add parsley and cilantro to your vegetable juice. They are great detoxifiers and cilantro can remove heavy metals from the body. Just throw in a small handful of each into your juicer. It's potent but good.

3. Drink herbal teas and tonics. The best teas for the kidneys are a combination of red clover, burdock root, dandelion and parsley root. This is an excellent herbal combination that will purify the blood and tone the kidney. Corn silk from organic corn can also be added to the mix as it is also an excellent kidney herb. The best liver herbs are artichoke (you can also juice this plant), licorice, bupleurum and one of my favorite milk thistle seed extract. With the exception of artichokes, you can drink the other herbs in teas. For more on making herbals teas see my previous article titled, How To Make Detox Tea, posted on 4/9/2008.

4. Decrease your consumption of meat to reduce the workload on your kidneys and liver.

5. Supplement with selenium, zinc, vitamin C and Vitamin E. There is also a wonderful fat called lecithin that can not only aid the liver but can help to reverse damage caused by coronary artery disease. If you supplement with lecithin stay away from the ones made from soybeans.

Whether you have a kidney or liver problem, you need to protect and support your kidneys and liver. With all the toxins in our food, air, and water it is not a matter of if but when we will develop liver or kidney problems. If you drink alcohol in excess you can count on developing kidney and liver problems. If you are under stress or smoke you definitely need to protect your liver and kidneys. Fact is, if you take prescription drugs and medication, are around toxins--insecticides, pesticides, paints, smoke, etc, you need to tone, protect and support your liver and kidneys.

So exercise that kidney and liver with herbs, water and vegetable juices. Give them a good healthy workout and they should keep you at the peak of health.